Two High School Students Have Invented PlantMD To Democratize Agriculture.

A team of two students from Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia took it upon themselves to impact the world by coming together to provide humanity with an instrument which could help in solving some major problems the universe is facing.

A team of two students from Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia took it upon themselves to impact the world by coming together to provide humanity with an instrument which could help in solving some major problems the universe is facing.

Shaza Mehdi and Nile Ravenell are the genius behind PlantMD, an app with the sole aim of democratizing agriculture. PlantMD is not just an app but a mission to rehabilitate the agricultural sector. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze pictures of crops affliced by disease, and cross checks a convolutional neural network to identify the disease instantly. Such technology is used by agricultural giants all over the world, but lacks a presence in developing countries where most farms are run by single family households.

We used machine learning and Google's TensorFlow API to create a tool classify crop diseases on the most common plants in the world. You don't need any WiFi or cellular connection. -Shaza and Nile

From the beginning of evolution to date, agriculture has stand the taste of time. It has been a source from where humanity is sustained. This is because it provides humanity with its basic needs, “food supply”. Research shows that the population of the world is expected to be about 9.7 billion in 2050. As a result of this exponential increase in population all over the globe, a high yield of agricultural produce is very necessary. Over the years, the industrialization of agriculture has left a large amount of damage in its wake, ranging from agricultural pollution as a result of nitrates and pesticides, to lesser incomes and lower autonomy for farmers and the society at large. One can hardly lay hands on fresh, nourishing and healthy food across the country. The use of fertilizers and pesticides have impaired the production of healthy food in one way or the other, therefore, there is an inherent need of democratizing agriculture through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Almost 1/4th of all crops grown on earth are lost to diseases. Plant disease is a threat to global food security, it does not only reduces the yield of crops but can go as far as wiping out the entire crop. Therefore recognizing diseases accurately at first occurrence is a very vital step for an effectual disease management. With the recent developments in computer devices and the conception of smart phones, disease diagnosis using automated picture recognition makes it simple and easier to recognise and treat plant diseases. -Shaza and Nile, 17

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